Fish Sniffer On Demand Digital Edition Issue 3712 May 25- June 8 | Page 30

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SALTWATER

30 May 25 - June 8 , 2018 VOL . 37 • ISS . 12
Khan Tran of North Cal Sportfishing Charters has been pounding salmon off of Half Moon Bay . He put his clients on these dandy fish during the second week of May .
Photo courtesy of KHAN TRAN , Sacramento
SALTWATER REPORTS :
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 25
MONTEREY BAY cont .
lost in the krill balls . There was one fish caught at the Soquel Hole and one at Soldiers Club ,” Fraser said
“ The majority of anglers fished for rockfish and lingcod ,” noted Fraser . “ The anglers did well on rockfish in the shallow water near South Rock and Natural Bridges . The deep water near Davenport produced some limits of big rockfish .”
“ The halibut and striped bass are still being caught off the wharfs and jetties , due to the schools of anchovies showing close to shore ,” he stated .
- Dan Bacher
PENINSULA SHORELINE
Striped Bass Hit The Beaches !
SAN FRANCISCO - Anglers in search of halibut are finding fair success inside the bay , while others brave high winds to catch perch and striped bass outside of the Golden Gate .
Swimbaits and bucktail jigs were highly recommended this week by Stefanie Scott at Gus ’ Discount Bait and Tackle for both halibut and striped bass .
“ There ’ s always a handful of guys at Crissy Field going for them because it ’ s easy to get to . Other guys are crossing the bridge and fishing by Tiburon Point ,” she related .
Anglers belonging to the More Than Fishing Facebook Group continued to report in steady catches of both striped bass and barred surf perch .
Bait fishermen are using pile and blood worms for both species , while lure tossers used motor oil 1.5 ” grubs for perch , and bucktail jigs for striped bass .
Interest in crab was slow , according to Stefanie Scott .
– Roland Aspiras

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Chatterbait Reaction : Anglers Find Saltwater Success !

Inever thought I would I have thought that I would receive such a reaction to an article as I have received about the use of chatterbaits in the salt ! Just within the time of the last two issues of the FishSniffer where I introduced the idea of using chatterbaits ( typically a fresh water bass lure ) in salt water , a number of anglers have contacted me telling of their successes using the bladed jig . Here is just a sample :

Jeff M . wrote that he tried the lure at Crissy Field off the San Francisco Presidio . Throwing it while wading in the water at low tide , he got a smashing hit just twenty five feet from where he was standing so he was able to see the strike .
“ The lure was coming through the water and it looked like there was nothing there , then a huge swirl off the bottom engulfed the lure !” he said . “ You were right about getting a hit in two feet of water . That 17 lb . halibut nearly gave me a heart attack !”
Jesse S . from South City called me and said that he tried trolling the chatterbait in the south bay and the stripers and halibut were suckers for the lure . He said he used a three way swivel rig with a one foot dropper leader to the eight ounce ball sinker and a five foot piece of 20 lb . fluorocarbon to the lure .
His two buddies were using a similar rig but one used a Rebel and the other used a rigged anchovie . Of the 12 fish landed that day , nine were on the chatterbait . One trip ’ s success doesn ’ t prove anything , but it does add to the possibilities !

SALTY TIPS by Steve “ Hippo ” Lau

Carey Y . took a Picasso model out to the surf in Pacifica ( he chose the Picasso model because it came in the 1.5 ounce size ) “ just for fun ” he says because it is a little early for stripers in the surf . He was pleasantly surprised when a 10 lb . striper ate the lure .
“ I was throwing the lure out with a Daiwa Maddragon carp rod , the rod you wrote about a while ago , What a way to break in a new rod !” he told me . There were two other surf casters that day throwing white hair jigs , but after four hours of casting , his was the only fish caught .
Finally , Matt M ., a bottom fishing fanatic , told me of the outfit he used for rockfish . He used 30 lb . braid to a three way swivel , had a 15 lb . test dropper to the eight ounce torpedo sinker , and a three foot section of fluorocarbon to the chatterbait with a five inch curl tail grub for a trailer . Dropping the rig down to the bottom in 80 feet of water , Matt said he could feel the lure shaking as he drifted along .
“ What I couldn ’ t believe ,” said Matt , “ was how violently the lingcod attacked the lure !” And while the season is still young , Matt said he was going to keep a chatterbait rigged outfit at the ready in future trips on his boat .
While each of these stories could be an article on its own , I hope that the successes written here will inspire you to check out these lures yourself and open up a new world of possibilities .
This incredible yellowfin tuna was caught off Baja ’ s East Cape on May 1 . Now is the time to head south in search of ahi !
Photo courtesy of VAN WORMER RESORTS , East Cape , Baja .

BAJA TIP OF THE WEEK

The boat fishing opportunities along the Baja Peninsula are well known , but Baja offers surf fishing too , for species such as sierra , jack crevalle , roosters , yellowtail , snappers , grouper and even California halibut .
To take on these species requires a zest for adventure , some determination and solid heavy duty spinning gear . For a reel , reels on the heavy end of the PENN Slammer series are ideal .
This reel earned the Best of Show award at ICAST 2016 in the saltwater reel category , the Slammer III refines the way you fish . It features the Sealed Slammer ® drag system with Dura-Drag™ material for smooth performance .
In addition , a sealed body and spool design keeps water out of the gear box and drag system . With a full metal body , sideplate and rotor , and CNC Gear™ tech , the PENN ® Slammer III Spinning Reel is built for heavy-duty fishing action .
The perfect match for your big Slammer is a surf rod from the PENN Carnage II Surf Casting Ulua series .
PENN Carnage II rods are a new generation of super light but powerful rods . Engineered to be fished with braided fishing line these rods can take the extra strain created by braided lines and will punish any game fish .
Spool that reel with 65 pound braid , grab some poppers , swimbaits and jigs and you ’ re ready for some big fish surf fishing action , Baja style !